Foraging Farmgirl

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Rural Farmgirl Alexandra Wilson
“Why farm? Why give up the 20-hour work week and the fun of hunting in order to toil in the sun? Why work harder, for food less nutritious and a supply more capricious? Why invite famine, plague, pestilence and crowded living conditions?” Harlan (1992)
The late summer foraging season is upon us in Alaska. As our own raspberries start showing hints of pink (an unlucky few matured early and made their ways into eager bellies, already), Mother Nature’s bounty is ripening up, as well! While societies around the world have thrived and grown in the wake of the development of agriculture, hunting, gathering and all around foraging are still great ways to supplement our diets with fun new (and often previously unknown to us) ingredients.

I love Blueberry stained hands!

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  1. Alli says:
    August 16, 2012 at 8:41 am

    I live in So. Cal in a VERY dry area, but here are a few things we find here that are good; wild radish, prickly pear cactus,mallow and miners lettuce along with nettles in wetter areas. My favorite is nettle. when it is cooked up in a soup it tastes like cream of asperagus soup to me…yum!

    Reply
  2. Diann says:
    August 16, 2012 at 9:08 am

    At the beginning of spring, we have wild blackberries. There are large wild brambles everywhere. The birds and I squabble over them vigorously! We usually have some pretty good mushrooms but not so much this year because of the dryness. Wild sage, mint, and other herbs are usually abundant. I love fresh "stuff" whether cultivated or wild.

    Reply
  3. Terri Talarek King says:
    August 17, 2012 at 10:43 am

    I always enjoy your blog so much! Including this one. I’m aware of many edible and medicinal plants in my area (including in our own woods and growing wild in our garden area), yet I’ve barely used them. I really want to get into it and make use of what’s there! So, your posting inspires me to do so.
    While I’m here, I have a question for you or anyone else reading this: does anyone know if only certain species of ferns are edible in the fiddlehead form? Or are all fiddleheads edible? I’ve been having trouble finding the answer. Alexandra – maybe your friend Henry could help me with this one? 🙂

    Reply
  4. Julee says:
    August 18, 2012 at 10:11 am

    Checkout Backyard Harvest, Fallen Fruit and other websites for urban foraging ideas.

    Reply
  5. Julie says:
    September 9, 2012 at 1:15 am

    I live in Ketchikan and I consider myself a hunter gatherer and gardener. I love picking rhubarb, Fireweed and spruce tips for jelly, red huckleberries, blueberries, high brush cranberries, salmonberries, wild strawberries, raspberries and salal. I make jams,jellies and syrups for my growing extended family. This year I am making 4 oz jars of jams and jellies for my wedding favors. We have lots of mushrooms here in Ketchikan too but I don’t know enough about them to pick them.
    I loved your blog post about slugs too. This year they were extremely bad in our garden. They ate our green beans and beets even after using Corry’s slug death. I even found them on the branches of the raspberries and huckleberries I have been picking this year!

    So glad to met another Alaska girl who enjoys foraging! Have a great winter!

    Reply
  6. Katie says:
    September 12, 2012 at 3:11 pm

    I’m sort of surprised that I haven’t found any educational type blogs about GMO’s… would love to see this topic spread like wildfire and for people to have their eyes opened. Thanks in advance for any consideration of this topic 🙂

    Reply

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Learning to Farm

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Rural Farmgirl Alexandra Wilson
In the not so distant past, the main mode of gaining farming knowledge was by growing up in a farming family. The mothers and fathers of little farm kids everywhere imparted their knowledge to their offspring for generations. In this way, families knew their land intimately, the children’s knowledge of farming practices was nearly intuitive and land, machinery, livestock and outbuildings were passed down generation to generation. However, the days of the family farm have all but come to an end. People who grew up on farms are increasingly moving from rural areas into more urban centers. The median age of farmers has increased steadily while the number of farmers has decreased. The U.S. census doesn’t even list farming as an occupation any more.

So, what is going to happen to small scale American farms? 

This is what small-scale sustainable agriculture looks like!

Continue reading →

  1. Kelly Wobeser-Sidoryk says:
    August 2, 2012 at 8:39 am

    Well written. There is a great program for Beginning Women Farmers through Holistic Management. It covers all the bases. So exciting how many young people are interested in being part of food production.

    Reply
  2. Donna Wittmann says:
    August 2, 2012 at 9:44 am

    I really enjoyed your article. I live in a small town in Iowa and we really enjoy gardening. I wish that I could own a few farm animals but I can’t. When I was younger I would stay with my grandparents who lived on a farm and I would have a lot of fun helping Grandma gather eggs in the morning or whatever else there was to do.
    Thanks,
    Donna W.

    Reply
  3. Kat Oliver says:
    August 2, 2012 at 10:14 am

    Lovely article. I have seen first hand the rise of the small family farm here locally as more farmers markets are opening every year. Locally grown is the trend as there is such an improvement in the quality of the food provided. I have embarked in a career in fiber and wholesale hand dyed yarn and am in the process of developing a registered Shetland flock of sheep with the notion of developing an American Shetland yarn. My back ground is being a military brat. But l have educated myself via a lot of classes offered by local ag colleges and extension services. I volunteer for 4H and local schools teaching knitting, spinning, and dyeing. I think it is important to share knowledge.
    Kat at Sweet Tree Hill Farm in VA

    Reply
  4. Kat Oliver says:
    August 2, 2012 at 10:14 am

    Lovely article. I have seen first hand the rise of the small family farm here locally as more farmers markets are opening every year. Locally grown is the trend as there is such an improvement in the quality of the food provided. I have embarked in a career in fiber and wholesale hand dyed yarn and am in the process of developing a registered Shetland flock of sheep with the notion of developing an American Shetland yarn. My back ground is being a military brat. But l have educated myself via a lot of classes offered by local ag colleges and extension services. I volunteer for 4H and local schools teaching knitting, spinning, and dyeing. I think it is important to share knowledge.
    Kat at Sweet Tree Hill Farm in VA

    Reply
  5. hobbit says:
    August 2, 2012 at 10:26 am

    So glad to read articles like this. I did grow up on a farm and it was the best. However, my mother wanted something better for us and sold the farm!!!!I have spent my whole life doing what I could to be a farmer.I had to,it what was in my heart and soul. Our farmer’s market runs all year long and it’s so busy in the winter you can hardly get to the vendor.It took about 5 years to reach this level but, thanks to that "never say die" attitude of our New England farmers it has blossomed into something wonderful.I hope this attitude catches on all across the land.People happy to meet and greet their neighbors…….I love it.

    Reply
  6. Shery says:
    August 2, 2012 at 10:58 am

    Wow, I did not know about farmers not being listed on the Census. Wow wow wow…SCAREY. The ‘bread basket of the world’ … not so much anymore is what you’re telling me.

    In our corner of the agricultural world – Ranching – the average age of the American rancher is 75. Frightening. American citizenry seems to be either clueless(?) or uninteresing in caring. I guess people are ok with being by & large dependent on other nations for food…?! So very bizarre that a country so rich in Ag history and just as promising for continuance in Ag self-reliance [as a nation] is going the way of consumerism in all four corners of our existence.

    I so hope that enough of you youngfolk see what is a’foot and move away from this trend.

    Reply
  7. Beth says:
    August 2, 2012 at 2:51 pm

    Hi Alexandra.
    Great article! I agree with you completely- we have to support small organic farms. I try to buy local, organic (if possible), and also have a garden and chickens. I’m happy to see more small farmers markets springing up every year in my area of central Pa. I’m currently renovating my mother’s family homestead to start a School of Country Living, where people can learn some of the skills that sustained us in generations past. At one time it was a small, busy dairy farm with a herd of cows and its own milk bottling plant. Sadly all of that is gone now, but the spirit of the place remains. It’s encouraging to know that there is a new crop of "Beginning Farmers" on the land. Best of luck…"

    Reply
  8. Valerie says:
    August 2, 2012 at 6:53 pm

    I have several family members currently that are farmers, which farming has been in the family for generations. Most of my relatives have anywhere from 800-1200, however as they all have cows, they use several hundred acres of their land is then used as pasture land. A few of my cousins are currently helping out as farmhands to my uncles and grandpa, mainly due to the high price of land they are unable to purchase their own right now. When the time comes at some point the land that my family members own will be passed down to them. I even know farmers that will purchase land from a neighbor (a private sale is usually done instead of a public one), that they do not necessarily even need, but do so in order to ensure big corporations are not getting the land. They will then either have more acreage for their cows or grow alfalfa or just have it be fallowed to preserve it. I think beginner farmers should be given low interest rate loans to start out and be able to purchase land and equipment. My uncles and grandpa love to talk farming to people, so if someone is starting out I highly recommend trying to find a seasoned farmer in their area to get advice from.

    Reply
  9. Carmen says:
    August 4, 2012 at 2:21 am

    For the most part, I like your article but you said something that annoys me every time I hear it. "The food from these farms might seem outrageously expensive at times." Sorry but if you buy the food "from these farms" at Whole Food it is "outrageously expensive" but it rarely is if you buy it at a farmer’s market, unless you chose to go to one with very high fees where the growers have no choice but to charge high to make up the fee. I sell at a farmer’s market where the vast majority of us use organic methods to grow what we eat and sell. Because there is no middle man and we run our own farmer’s market, our prices are comparable to what the local Walmart charges for non-organics. If people would visit their smaller farmer’s markets they would find out that eating organic doesn’t mean selling your first born to do it. If people who are into organics keep telling other that organic prices are "outrageously expensive", people who may want to eat organic will not even try buying from those of us who want to keep it affordable for our neighbors because a preconceived notion perpetuated by articles like this one.

    Reply
  10. Andrea says:
    August 6, 2012 at 6:27 am

    I have recently (2.5 months ago) moved onto and I should say into a family farm that has been on set-aside for the past 12 years so even though it is a farm , it’s only a beginning farm. We are slowly adding and learning as we go and I love to hear other newbie stories. I’m 36 and would never have guessed that this is what I would want to do, but after having my daughter the normal consumer driven life I had been leading seemed all wrong. We only have gardens and chickens, ducks, and geese right now but will add crops next year along with a few dairy cattle, bees, and possibly a few sheep or goats…oh and a few pigs. 🙂 We hope to bring in more biodiversity with small amounts to help soil and labor amount. To anyone out there thinking about it…I say you gotta try it even if you don’t have a farm to play on, there are so many that would love any help they can get, go volunteer! There’s nothing that beats fresh dirt on your hands and animals calling out to you as you walk by.

    Reply
  11. Sheree says:
    August 7, 2012 at 9:40 pm

    You are an inspiration! I have wanted to farm since the 70’s when I was a teenager. After retirement from a vastly different career, I bought 5 acres in IL complete with 100 yr old home, corn crib, & 150 yr old barn. I am living my dream! Better yet, my daught and her family are with me. We are renovating, getting gardens started, and even have 2 cows in our pasture (they belong to a neighbor farmer) but the smell is authentic! I too see this as a wave of the future and what better time then in these trouble economic times. Hope to use some out building as guest homes to eventually start a B&B so others can "play farmer" and catch the bug!!

    Reply

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The Power of Stories

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Rural Farmgirl Alexandra Wilson

Stories have played a large role in this Farmgirl’s life for the last week and a half.  From teaching, to reading, to interacting with people and plants, words and their transformative powers abounded enough for me to take note.  I read an Orion piece in which the author, Brian Doyle, reflects, “My god, stories do have roaring power, stories are the most crucial and necessary food, how come we never hardly say that out loud?”  So here I am saying it out loud: Stories have roaring power!  Fact or fiction, long or short, succinct or rambling, the best stories transport us, transform us and leave us changed.

 

Image of a woman reading from the National Media Museum, circa 1900

Continue reading →

  1. Dorothy says:
    July 19, 2012 at 5:31 pm

    Thanks for the blogs Alex. Love reading them.

    Reply
  2. diana says:
    July 19, 2012 at 8:31 pm

    Here in the Missouri Ozarks, we long for rain!
    Our temps have been over 100 for the past few days and so we are
    hibernating thru the day time, working our gardens only in the early mornings and late evenings.
    There’s lots of time for reading in the afternoons.
    My daughter bought me a journal filled with beautiful thoughts for each day, then a few lines to write my own, so thats just what I do on hot afternoons, write a poem about each day!
    Thanks for the cheery thoughts! Hugs, Diana

    Reply
  3. Mimi Foxmorton says:
    July 20, 2012 at 6:46 am

    As a storyteller by professional trade I say: "Hear! Hear! Huzzah!"

    Bring back oral tradition and the spoken word!

    Wonderful post!

    Have a truly creative day!

    Mimi
    The Goat Borrower

    Reply
  4. Esther Decker says:
    July 21, 2012 at 10:48 am

    My husband is a great storyteller. He can keep groups spellbound for hours with tales of WWII, the war between the states, historical facts, etc. He also writes books and has two of a trilogy in print, check out his website above. Stories have always been a means of learning things for me. Like you say, either fact or fiction they are interesting and I am an avid reader. Thanks for your blog and the opportunity to add my comments.

    Reply
  5. Laura Ann says:
    July 21, 2012 at 11:02 pm

    It was a delight to read about you and Stories! Yes, stories do have power. I am hooked very often listening to my family and friends. I have gone to a couple of professional storyteller conferences…what an art!
    Thanks for the reminder,
    Laura Ann

    Reply
  6. Stephen says:
    December 8, 2012 at 6:53 pm

    One of my very favorite mirmoees when I was growing up, was going to the Bookmobile every two weeks. Oh, how I loved this special treat! I stayed with my Aunt Dianne every summer when I was little and this was something that I looked forward to from one visit to the next. I can remember counting down the days until its next arrival in the nearby little town of Richfield. This is where I could spend hours just reading and looking at books. I would have the hardest time trying to decide what adventure I wanted to go on next. Would it be with Tom Sawyer or the brothers and sisters from the Boxcar Children Series? Most of the time, I went with the children on a boxcar adventure. I still remember how when they first started living in the old abandoned red boxcar on the hill and how they found old metal spoons and scrubbed them with sand so that they could use them. I know I read every book in that series at least three times each summer, plus all the other books as well that I loved reading to my little brother and younger cousins. Whenever I think about the bookmobile, I can still remember that very distinct smell. All those books, in that one small space, gave such a wonderful aroma. It was like medicine for my soul. I still love books to this day, especially old books. It’s funny because whenever I find an old book, it is not unusual for me to open it up and put it to my nose to see, if just by chance, it has that wonderful smell that I still long for. This is such a fond memory for me that I talked about it all the time when I started dating my now husband. A few years ago, when he found out that the same bookmobile that I used to visit was up for sale, he tried to buy it for me as a surprise. Unfortunately, we could not afford it. Which in retrospect, I guess was a good thing, because I would have been in there all the time and never accomplished anything. I have thought many times about how I would love to give that same memory to my own two children. There will never be a more special place to me in my childhood mirmoees. All I can hope for, at this point, is that my mansion in heaven, is an old tan colored bookmobile. Until then, it will forever be in my heart!

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Nature vs. Nurture

Posted on July 9, 2012 by Rural Farmgirl Alexandra Wilson

“There are those who can live without wild things and there are those who cannot.” ~Aldo Leopold

I am one who cannot.

The Wood Frog–The only wild frog species in Alaska.

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  1. nameMaureen says:
    July 10, 2012 at 7:32 am

    I see mud! Rich dark mud! Does the permafrost hamper your gardening?

    Maureen

    From fire scorched Colorado!

    Reply
  2. Cindy Sym says:
    July 10, 2012 at 7:46 am

    Alexandra, you hit it on the head for me with this statement:
    "Small scale organic agriculture is a very happy medium between the untamed wilderness and the chemical killing of bigAg."
    Tho it would be wonderful to return to our hunter-gatherer roots where we make no radical changes to any ecosystem in order to feed ourselves, our enormous population does not allow for that. ORGANIC agriculture is really our only hope, and that’s been proven in study after study despite what big ag manages to get published in the press to make the minions think otherwise.
    I appreciate your insights very much as well as the photos of your beautiful Alaska. Keep it up, farmgirl, I love it.

    Reply
  3. Lisa says:
    July 10, 2012 at 7:49 am

    "Happy radishes come from happy farms." 🙂 I think that’s adorable!

    I loved your article and look forward to reading more. I would love to have a larger farm and plant to my heart’s desire. Instead I live in the suburbs right now and have a small backyard garden. We lovingly grow only a few of each type of vegetable we eat regularly. This year we put in kale!! The strawberry patch is threatening to take over the entire area within a couple of years. We have to figure that one out! (care if I share some strawberry plants with you?) 😉

    Even though our garden is small, I still experience what you experience, but in a different (and smaller!) setting. The birds also greet us morning and evening, butterflies gather and flutter when the garden is watered, and catbirds taste our strawberries. Now we have to fence our garden in to keep out Mr. Groundhog and the little bunnies that abound in this area.

    It’s beautiful and wonderful growing even the smallest garden of your own organic produce. Looking at a happy radish, one realizes they have control of the chemical and GMO onslaught that threatens our bodies and environment daily. The happy radish invokes in me a good, settling, connected, grounding and protected feeling. I think that’s what I’m seeking each year when I put in my garden!

    Reply
  4. Diana Henretty says:
    July 10, 2012 at 8:12 am

    Your quote "just hit the spot" this morning!
    Your pictures are out of this world with beauty, how blessed you are.
    It reminded me so of our lives in the wilderness of Montana!
    Now that we are in the Ozarks, it is a little more difficult to find wild places, but there out there, even if it is in our own back yard, sitting out drinking our morning coffee in between raised beds and gazing at the stars before bed every night! Thank you for sharing your beautiful life with all of us!
    Hugs from the Ozarks, Diana Henretty

    Reply
  5. Vivian Monroe says:
    July 10, 2012 at 9:28 am

    Alex, I love your blog about nature, nurture, the land and being good stewards over it. I love the fact that you can find a place that is virtually untoched yet by man. I wish all of your generation could see the land like you do. I saw a good video about this man who asked God to show him how to tend his gardens. I thought you might like it, so I will include the link. I think I may have gotten it from another farmgirl blogger.http://backtoedenfilm.com/#movie

    I love my little 2 acres of land and I try to be a good steward over it. I do not use any herbicides or pesticides in my garden, so I know when I go out there and I see something that is ready I can pluck and eat and not worry about it. I wish you and your new soon to be hubby lots of blessings and lots of farm to nurture. Be Blessed. Neta

    Reply
  6. pauline mcconnell says:
    July 10, 2012 at 11:03 am

    That was a truly inspiring message from your heart about the land, agriculture, nature and growing all things organic. It put me in touch with how I really feel about what is happening all around us that is destroying the land and wildlife. I live in Idaho and am surrounded by yellow buzzing airplanes that spray pesticides on practically every crop. I hate that! I’m trying to have an organic yard and vegetable garden and it’s nigh unto impossible. You also sparked an interest I have, and that is learning about biodynamic farming. I just started hearing that word! Thanks for letting me see the passion and purpose you have. It truly inspired me and gave me hope.

    Reply
  7. Karen at A Glimpse Into My Reveries says:
    July 10, 2012 at 11:32 am

    What gorgeous views! Thank you for sharing with us a peek into your wonderful wilderness!

    Reply
  8. Jhon says:
    August 30, 2012 at 7:05 pm

    very nice. I knew a lady that loved to help shave llamas for their fur to make sawrtees. Had a spinning wheel in her living room.. was not to much fun to watch while I sneezed up a storm.

    Reply

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Spice Up Your Life!

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Rural Farmgirl Alexandra Wilson

First of all, Happy Summer Solstice! What a wonderful thing to celebrate—the longest day of the year, the finalization of our hemisphere’s bow to the sun, a time to start counting down to the long, cozy nights of the winter to come. I can’t help but think that, cyclically, this is the top of our seasonal wheel and we’re celebrating a brief breath at the peak before we continue to spin madly on.

Alaska’s state flower, the forget-me-not, likes the lots-o-light!

Continue reading →

  1. Judy says:
    June 23, 2012 at 5:28 am

    Your salad in a jar sounds yummy. I’d love to see a picture of one, might help me convince the family to try it. Thanks for yor posts I am really enjoying my visits to Alaska, through them.

    Reply
  2. Pam deMarrais says:
    June 26, 2012 at 6:19 pm

    You have a great handle on using spices at an early age; that is awesome. I love your salad in a jar idea. Will have to try it! Thanks for sharing your tips. I will think of you this evening as the sun sets…a lot sooner than where you are!

    Reply
  3. Kelly Ryan says:
    June 26, 2012 at 8:07 pm

    I love the salads in a jar idea too!!! Loved reading your post!
    Kelly in Ca

    Reply
  4. Leonora says:
    June 27, 2012 at 1:13 am

    Love the salad in a jar idea especially the idea of preparing once for a week’s worth of lunches. Candied spruce tips…
    sounds good. Thank you for your wonderful blog and pictures.

    Reply
  5. C Harvey says:
    June 27, 2012 at 3:29 am

    Try some curry. That’s a wonderful flavor. Also, dill has become one of my best friends. Great in coleslaw!

    Reply
  6. Linda Hooker says:
    June 27, 2012 at 5:35 am

    I just love your post. You are such an interesting young lady. I love to try spices and herbs too, I make goat cheese and herbs and spices are vital! Love the salad in a jar idea.

    Reply
  7. Nancy Couden says:
    June 27, 2012 at 6:17 am

    Love spices and herbs. Like the others–the salad in a jar sounds like a wonderful idea. It is time for me to start using my lettuce–got a late start this year.

    Reply
  8. Kathleen Barger-Harbert says:
    June 27, 2012 at 8:29 am

    Tell me more about the spruce tip syrup and candies. I am intrigued!

    Kathy
    Herbal Maid Fiber Farm in Missouri

    Reply
  9. Kim in SC says:
    June 27, 2012 at 11:48 am

    Hi Alex!
    I have been a Mary Jane’s farm gal for only a little while and haven’t fully explored all the blogs yet; today I happened to click on the link Mary Jane posted for Rural Farmgirl and what a wonderful surprise to see that you are in Palmer, Alaska! I had the opportunity to visit the Wasilla/Palmer area last year in June and have family living there still…I can totally relate to the later dinner times and the screwy appetites! I loved the lush green everywhere… It was so hard for me to explain to people how it never really got dark and how easy it started to get to be up for 20 hours a "day" and still have energy… Will be following your blog from now on. 🙂

    Reply
  10. Sarah says:
    June 28, 2012 at 6:35 am

    Tarragon makes a deliciously sweet addition to chicken pot pie. I only make that in winter, but it is wonderful then! I’d say for summer, you should go for basil or oregano. Pesto is very summery.

    Reply

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The Return of the Frog Prince

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Rural Farmgirl Alexandra Wilson

Our vacation through the Midwest is over—and what a momentous vacation it was! Our adventures took us from Bozeman, Montana to Valley City, North Dakota, and finally to Minnetonka, Minnesota. The highlight from all of these lovely places and all of the great things we did was…drum roll, please…I’ve returned to Alaska an engaged lady! And I’m not just any engaged Farmgirl, I’m engaged to one of the best men out there (in my opinion).

Continue reading →

  1. bonnie ellis says:
    June 7, 2012 at 7:52 am

    Alex: Ah young love. I remember 50 years ago when I was you. God bless you to have a wonderful life! (The pictures are fun and you are a great couple)

     

    Thank you, Bonnie!  We are looking forward to many decades together!

    Reply
  2. Adrienne says:
    June 7, 2012 at 8:08 am

    Congratulations and best wishes to both of you! What a wonderful story.

     

    Many thanks, Adrienne!  We kind of like the story, too 🙂

    Reply
  3. Sabrena says:
    June 7, 2012 at 8:27 am

    Congratulations to both of you!

    Thank you, Sabrena!

    Reply
  4. Nan Roberts says:
    June 7, 2012 at 10:46 am

    Awwww. Thanks for sharing your lovely fairytale story. God bless you both, and your marriage and life together. I love that frog. The sweet thing. May you have lots of frogs and such to go with lots of kids.
    Nan in Oregon

    Thank you for your well wishes, Nan!  I love the frog too–knew right away I had to catch it for a photo op.

    Reply
  5. Coleen says:
    June 7, 2012 at 10:53 am

    Congratulations!!!! I love fairy tale endings (beginnings).

    Here’s to farmgirl dreams.

    PS… I really enjoy your blog.

     

    Awww, thanks, Coleen!  Fairy tale beginnings are fun!

    Reply
  6. Cleda M says:
    June 7, 2012 at 1:46 pm

    Congratulations on your engagement. The magical tale of about the appearance of the frog was delightful. Have you set a wedding date?

     

    Thanks, Cleda!  No wedding date yet–probably two summers from now.  We’re not afraid of a long engagement 🙂

    Reply
  7. Laura says:
    June 7, 2012 at 1:48 pm

    Many heartfelt wishes for a beautiful and happy life together! What a love story ! Blessings to you,
    Laura
    p.s. love love that ring!

    Thank you for the kind words, Laura.  Blessings and love to you as well!

    Reply
  8. Kathy says:
    June 7, 2012 at 1:49 pm

    I have been following your Farmgirl blog for a while, sincerely jealous of the adventures you’ve been having in Alaska. Oh to be young again! The frog story gave me the chills! Congratulations to you both, you make a darling couple – love Evan’s smile in the pic with your little niece! It sounds to me that the two of you have become good friends, which makes a sound foundation for a marriage. I look forward to reading all about the planning stages of your wedding.

    Thanks, Kathy!  I’m sure I’ll need some farmgirl help with the planning–it will be a slow process for sure.  Evan is a keeper, I’m a lucky gal to have found him!

    Reply
  9. Debbie says:
    June 7, 2012 at 10:41 pm

    I love a happy ending and this story has one!
    Congratulations to you all! Many blessings in your life together!
    sister Deb( BEACHFARMGIRL )
    ps. I can hardly wait to see the wedding picks!

    Reply
  10. meredith says:
    June 8, 2012 at 5:18 am

    Wow! Great story and greater ending (beginning!)- Congratulations and best wishes for a long and happy life together! I love your ring too!

    Reply
  11. marci says:
    June 8, 2012 at 12:19 pm

    Congratulations on beginning a new adventure! You have such great memories already to build a relationship. They will keep you through the hard times. God bless you individually and together

    Reply
  12. Pam deMarrais says:
    June 8, 2012 at 4:22 pm

    Alex, I am so happy for you and Evan! You make the perfect couple. I look forward to hearing about your wedding plans. It is so nice that you are waiting a bit to tie the knot. That will give you time to savor every moment as the big day approaches. I loved reading your story, especially the happy ending!

    Reply
  13. Kay Ruh says:
    June 9, 2012 at 10:53 am

    The joy in your faces has brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for sharing your love for one another, and for your families which we are so blessed to be a part of.

    What a great celebration our time together was! Can’t wait to do it again!

    Love, Kay and Bill

    Reply
  14. Denise (Kracht) Wadeson says:
    June 9, 2012 at 3:34 pm

    Congrats to you both your future mother-in-law about attacked me this morning with this news. I graduated high school with Evan and work with his mom. Again congrats and look forward to reading about all of your adventures.

    Reply
  15. Betty Thompson says:
    June 11, 2012 at 12:32 pm

    Congratulations and may your future be filled with magical times.

    Reply
  16. Gail Pederson says:
    June 13, 2012 at 9:07 am

    A Mom couldn’t be much happier with those happenings on Memorial Day weekend! We are so blessed to have you in our family. Thanks for bringing "the son who runs the farthest" back to the country life.

    Reply
  17. Becky Bartlett says:
    June 19, 2012 at 9:34 am

    Alex,you really became part of our family immediately. I amso happy that it will be a permanent bond! Your love for each other radiates warmth to those around you. It will be such a pleasure to watch it grow even stronger.

    Reply
  18. Marla MacBeth says:
    July 9, 2012 at 11:22 am

    Congratulations, Alex! Of course he is nice and from a great family. They are from North Dakota! Yes, there are nice folks everywhere but those Northern Plains people are extra special! Enjoy every minute of your adventure together!

    Reply

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When I Grow Up

Posted on May 23, 2012 by Rural Farmgirl Alexandra Wilson

Evan and I arrived in Montana on Monday (the 21st) for nearly two weeks of vacationing through Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota! After several weeks of working our tushes off, it has been great to see the loving faces of family and friends in the lands we call home. As mentioned in my previous post, I just finished my first year of graduate school and have spent the last week and a half catching up with all that was put off during the final crunch. Evan has been working double duty with me as well—he’s a real life saver.

“Growing Up” by Jeffrey Hamilton, 1999

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  1. Pamela deMarrais says:
    May 24, 2012 at 5:59 pm

    Hey Alex, I love your wish list! I don’t see any reason why you won’t attain everything on it, and then you can start another list! Your enthusiasm is inspiring. Keep sharing your ideas and your great stories. I hope that you have an awesome vacation!

    Reply
  2. Laura says:
    May 24, 2012 at 6:28 pm

    Hi Alex

    Keep the dream alive ! You have fantastic visions for yourself and I can easily see you living that life, you have started doing so already. I also am still dreaming even at a different stage in life (my 2 boys are teenagers), yet I still have dreams of a farm suited especially for me, having and planting my favorite things. I have to say that yak calf is cute! Have to look into that, lol. Happy dreaming! "Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will."
    — George Bernard Shaw

    farmgirl blessings, Laura

    Reply
  3. Evelyn S. says:
    May 24, 2012 at 7:25 pm

    I loved what you had to say about growing up. I got tears in my eyes. If you ever open that school you were talking about, then be sure and let us all know where to come and visit! When I grow up, I want to have never-ending patience, lead a not-so-hurried life and live somewhere, where I can’t hear the cars whizzing by.

    Reply
  4. Shery says:
    June 2, 2012 at 2:22 pm

    You’re on a good track :o) I loved the description of your to-be children as ‘nearly feral’. That is what once was possible in this great country. I know because I lived it. Children wandered about and no one gave it a second thought … and that was in town. We lived on the fringe – very small town in Wyoming. So, ‘out of town’ meant you were Ab-So-Lutely OUT out of town probably before you saw the city limits sign. I wandered about all day in the summer on my pony…showing up only for meals. My mother knew my approximate whereabouts: somewhere around or on the outskirts of town and it was totally normal. I was packin’ iron sometimes because I carried my pop gun with me during ‘hunting season’ ;O) OhMyYes, live where you can let your children have FREEDOM … freedom to play and know what it is to be free. I think that is one reason it has lost some of it’s importance in some folk’s minds. So many have lost it little by little and now they don’t really know what it is to have it in the most real sense. You don’t miss what you can no longer remember the flavor of.
    Well, I digress. Love your dreams. Go and live them! If you’ve not seen the movie ‘2nd Hand Lions’…do so. It is about this very thing … and the comment made at the end, ‘Yes, they really lived’…is what I’m talking about. shery

    Reply

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The Greening of Things

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Rural Farmgirl Alexandra Wilson

Green. This word conjures up a handful of images. What does it make you think of? The color? An inexperienced person? Money? Envy? New growth? I, along with many of you, my fellow Farmgirls, am inextricably drawn towards shades of green.

These brussel sprouts want to be outside.

Continue reading →

  1. Susan O'Leary says:
    May 12, 2012 at 5:13 am

    My own climate is much closer to yours. Here in the high desert of Central Oregon I’m still growing tomatoes and basil and flowers and veggie starts in the house and trying in vain to harden them off each afternoon outside. Alas! The night temps have been 16 and 22 the last two nights. Yes, too frigid for tomatoes. So they are now 2′ tall and starting to flower. I keep waiting. Even with Frost Blankets and surrounded by jugs of water for the thermal mass… it’s iffy. Sigh. Oh for a greenhouse!
    Love the look of that basil. Yum! is right!
    Susan

    Reply
  2. Kathy Barger-Harbert says:
    May 12, 2012 at 8:27 am

    the midwest is a rich forest of green right now with gardens well started with vegetables, fruit setting on tree and bush, lush pastures and fat sheep. I’ll bet the green in Alaska will just explode over the next few weeks for you.

    Reply
  3. Nan Roberts says:
    May 12, 2012 at 10:11 am

    You can grow basil in Alaska. Wow. I live on the Central Oregon Coast. We had a present the other night of air from Alaska (thank you so much) that brought us a frost warning, so I wrapped my jasmine in a blanket and covered the plants that had wintered over in the house with more blankets.

    It’s in the 40s at night here now, and in the 50s, usually in the daytime.
    But in my particular place, I can’t grow basil, nor tomatoes nor peppers. Hot here is about 70, which happens rarely. And we get a lot of wind in the summer, too.

    But the forests are indeed very green, the alders are out completely as well as the underforest, so everything is vivid new green, just beautiful.

    Reply
  4. Fawn Carriker says:
    May 13, 2012 at 9:37 am

    Our country provides such amazing contrasts! Here in Central California we are expecting 95 degrees today (unseasonably warm even for us); I can almost SEE my tomatoes, lettuce, strawberries, and squash plants growing. But unless we get some more rain, things will not stay so beautifully green for long. Enjoy your greening world!

    Reply

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The Final Countdown

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Rural Farmgirl Alexandra Wilson

It’s finals week here at Alaska Pacific University, and this farmgirl is feeling the crunch! Fortunately, I have some de-stressing techniques. While sometimes it’s hard to find the time to actually employ those techniques… they are still nice to think about!

Easy Stress Relief in the form of Taz!

Continue reading →

  1. Sharon says:
    April 26, 2012 at 9:50 am

    Great topic! Lately when things are busy and stressful and I am unable to make it to the beach during the day (which is my favorite place to go to de-stress), I will take some time at night to either pop in a cd or pick a station on Pandora and bust a move/rock out/bee bop around the house. My cats really love it if I sing along too >^..^<

    Reply
  2. Laura says:
    April 26, 2012 at 1:37 pm

    Loved your post Alex. I too am a rural farmgirl, but living in rural Idaho instead of Alaska. One of my favorite de-stress tips is to take a footbath in warm water with some essential oils. I can read, study, blog, or check e=mails while doing so, but just soaking my feet really seems to take the stress out of my life.

    Good luck with your finals!

    Reply
  3. Marji says:
    April 26, 2012 at 2:07 pm

    Hello Alex from your farmgirl sister in the wilderness north of Nenana! Spring is the time my stress level rises. After a long winter(and you know how long this one has been) of planning and devising all those summer projects by the time the snow is melting I am starting to feel overwhelmed worrying about how I am going to get it all done in our short summer. I find the best stress buster is to just get outside and take in nature. Pretty soon I’m cleaning a flower bed or moving planters to the greenhouse, raking fall leaves or just sitting in the sun watching the dogs play. These are my "aaahh" moments. Now if I can just find my "to do list". :)) Have a great summer!!

    Reply
  4. Nicole says:
    April 30, 2012 at 9:18 am

    I am a college as well, and it seems that stress has been a constant companion. I only find a sense of calm at my farm, I just wish we were at a place financially that we could be there all the time. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your life.

    Reply

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My Muse Is Cute and Fluffy

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Rural Farmgirl Alexandra Wilson

Exciting news from Spring Creek Farm! Well…at least exciting for my learners, other folks on the farm and me. The eggs hatched! We now have ten adorable chicks. Five hatched from the first clutch and five from the second. They were here just in time for Easter, and I have to say…I’m in love.

Is this where Cadbury Mini Eggs™ come from?

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  1. Nancy says:
    April 12, 2012 at 6:54 pm

    So much going on! Thank you for sharing!

    Nancy
    http://www.liveasavorylife.com

    Reply
  2. Shery says:
    April 12, 2012 at 8:03 pm

    I’m right there with you in the ‘thrilled’ department. I’ve hatched out hundreds of chicks and to this day, each and every one is just as fun to watch as the very first one. I think that is the magic of living close to the land and animals. The wonder of it all never fades (for many of us anyway!)

    I LOVED all the photos and that lamb is sooo cute. It was fun to read your post because I got a dose of 2nd hand enthusiasm — which at the end of this day felt good.

    I told myself that this spring, I really don’t need chicks this year. I knew when I said it that the odds of sticking to that statement were kinda iffy. Guess where I’m headed in the morning :o) … to pick up half a dozen day old pullets!
    Thanks for another fun post!

    Reply
  3. Debbie says:
    April 12, 2012 at 8:15 pm

    Happy Spring Alex! I so loved this post… I can smell the hay and Duke and feel the soft fuzz of your baby chicks too!
    You are right, something about being around " the farm " IS soothing, comforting and just feels right. I hope for your very own farm one day! Sounds like you will be right at home there!
    thanks for a wonderful post!
    Deb ( your beach blogging sister )

    Reply
  4. Roberta says:
    April 13, 2012 at 1:56 am

    Happy Spring to you all from Appomattox, Virginia. My neighbor who i recently became friends with has a mini farm…some goats, sheeps, chickens, ginnie hens and geese. Recently he has been hounded by a fox who got 5 chickens. He is new to farming and he has educated himself very well and does an amazing job, but this fox has to go…any ideas?
    Thanks
    Roberta

    Reply
  5. Diane Loehr says:
    April 13, 2012 at 5:41 am

    I Loved this article. I am also a huge animal lover but not to the scale of your farm. I just love all of them, but the photo that I thought was adorable was Maybe! Soooooo darn cute! I just want to pet him. I think the next step is to write a book with lots of photos telling us about what it like having a farm. I could picture myself on a porch, in a rocking chair, with a cup of coffee or Green Tea, smelling the hay, and reading a book like this! Think about it!

    HAPPY SPRING TO ALL OF YOU!

    Reply
  6. Maureen says:
    April 13, 2012 at 11:32 am

    Alex- I really enjoyed this post. Your chicks are adorable. Love the pictures of the farm animals that you took care of. If I had a fabulous looking animal like Maybe I would try to turn him into a house pet! Love ya, Mom

    Reply
  7. Gail Pederson says:
    April 16, 2012 at 7:57 am

    Loved this article and so fun to see the photos. "Birthing" is one of the few things that is missed by my husband after we quit dairy farming in 2001. The thrill never goes away. Pulling calves…even calf mouth to mouth…getting the little bugger to drink out of the bucket when we needed to start milking mama. Nurturing that new life…so cool. Another memory of much younger days as you speak of eating the chickens…scalded feather smell to pluck them. Have had several conversations with people about this recently. A smell never forgotten. Blessings, Gail

    Reply
  8. April says:
    April 17, 2012 at 5:48 am

    Loved this post! I totally cracked up about spending 15 minutes trying to figure out which crackers to buy! So true…sounds like me! I think having everything at the farm would make my head less stressed out. I don’t like grocery shopping either these days. Too much stress! Being outside with God’s creation is so much better! I’m dreaming of our farmfresh eggs from our new chicks (have to wait till September for the egg part) and cheering on my seed starts! Enjoy your adventures!!!
    ~Farmgirl Hugs!
    April

    Reply
  9. Sharon says:
    April 17, 2012 at 9:17 am

    Alex,

    I just wanted to drop a quick line to let you know that I love your voice and writing style. You have very quickly become my favorite farmgirl blog (no offense to any of marjanes other fabulous farmgirl blogs meant). Keep up the good work and thank you for sharing your unique perspective.

    Sharon

    Reply
  10. Deborah says:
    April 18, 2012 at 11:30 am

    Alexandra,
    I just finished reading your latest post and I have to say you absolutely touched my heart with your writing, photograhs, the simplicity and thoughtfulness of all your words. I am so happy that I found your blog through Mary Janes Farm world!! I have many of the same thoughts and feelings that you share with farm life. I have three boys and we own a log cabin in Montana on about 23 acres. We can only go there on vacation, since we still live in Los Angeles. My husband and I are in law enforcement and cannot wait until we finally can call Montana our permanent home. Soon:)Please keep the writing and beautiful stories coming. I will be sure to read every one of them. Blessings

    Reply

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